


gifts to give

by foolswhodream



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, no death because i dont like sadness, will add character tags as they appear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-05-19 17:04:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19361062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foolswhodream/pseuds/foolswhodream
Summary: College AU about a disaster of a music major, a "transfer" student, two arguing professors, and a guidance counselor.Can be read as either a collection of one-shots or a story.





	1. anybody got a match?

Eurydice thought she had planned it all out perfectly.

With the not so gentle reminders that the weather would begin to turn colder soon, she’d caught a bus and found herself stuck in a town too small for her liking, with hardly any redeeming features besides the college that resided there. It would do for a night, but the sooner she could leave this place, the better. Every person she met seemed too inclined to remember her face, and the stares of strangers had never been welcomed by her heart. Small towns meant people talked, and word tended to spread too quickly of the girl from out of town who looked as though she’d never smiled or slept. (She supposed that description wasn’t too far from the truth.)

Still, colleges had libraries. She was lucky in that this one happened to have one that was open twenty-four hours. No charge, no checking that you were a student, and it was three stories and near silent when she walked in. That was to be expected, sure, considering how late it was, but Eurydice still felt a sigh of relief escape her as she noticed how few people were actually there.

And it was _warm_.

Three stories, each full of a dozen different hidden corners, blankets tucked over the backs of armchairs and pillows strewn about occasionally. A few students sat hunched over at large tables, scribbling furiously or mumbling to themselves as they worked. There was a distant hum of some of the fluorescent lighting, an occasional flicker if the wind blew too quickly. But it was warm, and Eurydice quickly found an armchair that she practically fell into, her legs curled to her chest and a blanket pulled over her head. It didn’t take long before sleep drew the world away, exhaustion seeping in and preventing any chance of dreaming. It was how the girl often slept, keeping her eyes open just long enough to find someplace close to safe, and waking as the sun came up so she could be gone before the world had time to adjust.

The sound of something crackling woke her.

There had been a popping noise, a hiss, and the increasingly deafening sound of rain. Eurydice pulled the blanket from her face, taking longer than she would have liked to realize that the room was only so dark because the power had gone out.

The power had gone out. Shit.

An uncomfortable weight settled in her stomach as she pulled herself up from the chair slowly, gripping her bag to her side as her gaze darted around each corner she approached. The tables seemed to have been abandoned, no sound other than the rain up above and the gentle falling of her footsteps, and she couldn’t help but hope that meant she would make it out without anyone spotting her.

That hope was dashed the moment she heard someone humming.

It was soft, barely audible over the noise outside, but it echoed in her head with a resounding power she didn’t quite understand. Eurydice found herself walking towards whoever it was coming from before she’d even fully registered it, tempted to swear that her heart beat to the same tune.

She froze the moment she saw him.

* * *

 

Orpheus was terrible at planning ahead.

He’d known about this project for nearly six weeks, and yet had still decided to start it the Friday before it was due. It wasn’t that he didn’t have an idea, but more so that every time he’d started to write it down, everything seemed out of place. The notes he heard in his head wouldn’t allow ink to tether them, and he was beginning to think he would have to do a live performance during office hours instead of turning something in. He wasn’t sure why it was, but any time he was asked to give his work to someone else, particularly this professor, the melody refused to sing.

Still, he forced himself to go to the library late at night, even accepting the coffee his roommate had offered. That was a decision he regretted now, having been unable to stop bouncing his foot since he’d sat down and jumping considerably more than one was supposed to with each clap of thunder, but he’d almost finished the piece he’d needed to work on. He just needed to upload it to his computer so it would be legible (per his teacher’s rules, since the older man insisted Orpheus’ handwriting looked like chicken scratch).

That, of course, was when the power went out. T

he whole library shut down in seconds, the slow whir of the lights fading as it was replaced by an unnatural silence. It was near suffocating, settling as a heavy blanket of snow over him and nearly reversing the coffee’s effect. Orpheus stopped tapping, instead staring at the paper in his hands and humming the carefully lined notes as though they would allow light to shine through. He didn’t think anyone else was in the library, not this late, so as he shuffled through his papers to go home, he didn’t notice the girl who had walked up to him.

He felt like singing when he finally looked at her.

* * *

 

“Do you have a light?”

It took Eurydice too long to find her voice, instead staring at the boy in front of her as she tried to determine if she’d seen him before or not. There was something strangely familiar about him, though she hoped she could chalk that up to being sleep deprived and frightened. It wasn’t important for now. She just needed to leave where she was.

“Oh, I— I don’t smoke,” the boy said sheepishly, looking far too upset by that fact. Eurydice couldn’t help the faint smile that tugged at the corners of her lips, a soft laugh bubbling up before she’d realized. And Orpheus, despite seeming somewhat confused, was suddenly looking at her in a way she’d never been looked at by anyone before.

“Flashlight,” she corrected, unable to keep the amused tone from her voice. “Cause, you know, it’s pitch black.”

“Oh. _Oh!_ I might, let me look, one second,” Orpheus stammered, pulling his bag up onto the table and rifling through it as quickly as he could. “I’m really sorry, if I don’t. I think there are emergency lights on downstairs? Which would be why it isn’t exactly pitch black. It’s rather dim, though. And the librarians probably keep some in their desks. Or the security guard, he might have one you could borrow. You probably shouldn’t go out in the storm, not yet at least,” he rambled, not looking up at her yet. “Come home with me.”

Eurydice had been listening in comfortable silence, her eyebrows slightly raised as she watched the boy inspect every pocket of his backpack intently, but she felt her stomach twist at his last few words. “What?” It came out harsher than she’d intended, a slow breath filling her lungs before she spoke again. “Who even are you?”

The boy seemed to have panicked, his finger tapping against the backpack that he was still gripping far too tightly. “I’m Orpheus.”

Huh.

“I’m Eurydice.”

“Your name is like a melody.”

She resisted the urge to duck her head as she spoke again, though she didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Why would I go home with you, Orpheus?”

“I just thought that, well, since I live in the dorm next door, it’d be a short walk and I don’t know where you live so maybe not any shorter, but I’m sure my roommate would be fine with it and he might not even be there. You could stay the night so you don’t have to go outside in the storm for too long.”

He seemed genuine, and, when it came right down to it, it seemed like a kind offer. There was no reason to say no, yet Eurydice still felt herself pull away slightly, the same wariness she always carried reminding her of everything that could go wrong.

“I would sleep on the floor.”

The words seemed to burst out of Orpheus, as though he’d been trying to hold them back in order to let her think. It brought that same almost smile back to her lips, and Eurydice couldn’t help but let her gaze focus on him. She leaned forward and picked up the sheet of music he’d been holding earlier, before pressing herself up onto the table carefully. “Why are you here so late?” She asked, a surprisingly genuine curiosity in her voice as her attention turned to the paper in her hands.

“I’m working on a song. It isn’t finished, but it’s for a project. I’m majoring in composition, which is great and all, but I think I forgot that meant people would have to read my work too. I can never write it down properly. I wanted to write about spring, and fall, and every time the earth manages to keep turning and keep us safe despite what’s going on.”

“So, nights that aren’t like tonight?”

“Well, yes. I guess. I don’t know if my teacher will like it. I don’t know if anyone would like it, really. It’s kind of silly. I was really just hoping for a decent grade.”

“Sing it.”

“What?”

Her head cocked to the side, blinking as innocently as she could as she let the corner of her jacket slide of her shoulder slightly. “You want to take me home?” she asked, her tone lilting.

“Yes.” (It was eager, almost too, but the parted lip smile he offered her made her almost smile too.)

“Sing the song.”

Orpheus looked like he was frozen, his expression shifting to an odd mix between appreciation and terror. “But… I don’t have my guitar. And it isn’t finished, really. I just wa—”

“Orpheus,” she said, her voice surprisingly soft, “I’m waiting.” Her smile widened slightly as she moved to sit cross legged on the table, eyebrows raised again as she rolled the corner of the paper between her thumb and her forefinger, hoping to commit the melody to memory. He nodded as his eyes met hers.

“Okay.”

And, with that, he started singing. It was soft, merging with the sound of the rain and the distant rolling thunder and what Eurydice thought might be her heartbeat, so strong it could have burst out of her chest. The boy could sing, she’d give him that, but there was something to the melody he’d whispered into the world that felt so _real_ she wanted to take it from the air and hold it to her for the rest of her life.

Orpheus trailed off after a minute or two, his flushed cheeks barely visible in the dim glow of the library. “That’s all I have. I’ve been trying to think of how to finish it, but nothing ever seems quite right. Does that make sense? It’s like I can hear the song in my head but no matter how hard I try, I can’t write it out. That probably sounds ridiculous.”

“It’s beautiful.”

Eurydice watched as his face lit up, a smile brighter than any she’d ever seen on his features. “Really? You think so?” She nodded slowly in response, carefully jumping off of the table and handing his paper back.

“Really. Now, a deal’s a deal, and I’m tired. Do you have snacks in your room?”


	2. for a moment i forget

By the time they reached Orpheus’ dorm, they were soaked. 

Eurydice could feel a chill setting in, her jacket no longer doing much to protect her. There was an undeniable pit that settled into her stomach during storms, and despite the knowledge that she had somewhere to go for the night, that feeling had begun to creep back. She was tempted to leave now, to apologize to the boy, to just start running again before anything felt easy. She could lie, explain that she’d forgotten her roommate needed her home for whatever reason, or that she felt bad intruding on him like this. It’d be simple. A short conversation, a goodbye, and she could leave. He’d forget about her in a day or two.

“Eurydice?”

She forced her features to relax quickly, recognizing the tension in her brow as she turned towards him. Her focus still wandered, the thoughts of running still ever present in the forefront of her mind.

“Are you okay?”

Oh.

No one had ever asked her that, not in a way that made her want to answer. The poor boy sounded concerned, and when she eventually raised her eyes to look at him, it was written all across his face. He didn’t ask it in a selfish way. He’d carefully clasped his hands around the straps of his backpack, almost swaying as he looked at her. His hair lay flat against his forehead, his lips twisted into a hesitant frown, and he seemed so intent, so genuine that Eurydice wanted to confess everything to him.

“Just cold. Your hair’s a disaster.” 

Orpheus brightened immediately at that, reaching a hand up to try and remedy the situation. “It always is. I’ve tried everything, too. My roommate gave me hair gel once, but I looked like I’d dunked my head into grease. That’s gross, I’m sorry. I don’t use hair gel anymore. So, it just sort of… looks like this. All the time. It’s worse right now, actually. Well, I think so, at least. I don’t really know how to fix it,” he shrugged, seeming almost flustered.

Eurydice couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped her as she stepped forward, pressing herself up onto her tiptoes to brush the hair back from his forehead. It seemed a natural thing to do, but as she saw the way Orpheus froze, his hands suddenly outstretched towards her, she felt a flicker of uncertainty return. Part of her wanted to place her hands on his, give in to the gentle way he offered them. Part of her wanted to run. She decided on stepping back carefully, not quite meeting his eyes as she saw him stuff his hands into his pockets. 

“There. Not quite perfect, but hopefully you can see now,” She said after a moment. Orpheus only nodded, turning to give his student ID to the security guard. Eurydice noticed the surprise on the guard’s face as he looked at her, and she merely offered him a wry smile and followed Orpheus to the elevators. “What year are you?” She asked, hoping to ease the tension that had wrapped around them.

There was a pause as Orpheus seemed to take a breath, before turning to look at her with the same smile as he had earlier. His features had softened, the hesitance she’d seen before vanishing. 

(She wasn’t sure why that made her heart sink.)

“I’m a junior. You?”

Eurydice should have been expecting the question, but she still faltered. It was a small school. The chances of having never seen someone before were slim. “Sophomore,” she said after a moment, the lie slipping through her teeth easily. “Not here, uh, yet. I’m planning on transferring.”

Well, shit.

“Oh,” he replied, turning to grin at her. “That’s cool that you’d be going here! You seem, uh, cool. I said cool twice. You just seem like someone I’d like to… spend time with,” he stammered, looking back down at the ground.

“Well, you did already invite me back to your place before you even knew my name.” The words were gentle, accompanied by a teasing tone as she nudged his arm with hers. There was a quiet burst of laughter as they stepped onto the elevator, his cheeks almost flushed.

“I suppose that’s true. In my defense, I—” Orpheus paused, his gaze suddenly focused back on Eurydice. The girl swore something fluttered in her chest. “I felt like I knew you, from somewhere. I don’t know. Like I’ve been waiting to meet you.”

Something definitely fluttered in her chest.

“You’re quite the poet, aren’t you?”

“I also play guitar.”

Eurydice laughed at that, her head tipping back slightly. “So, you’re a player then?”

“W-well, no,” Orpheus stuttered, some sort of panic flooding his features. “I’m not like that,” he explained, performing some sort of awkward gesture towards the elevator door that she assumed was meant to be gentlemanly. Eurydice walked out slowly, backwards so that she could still see Orpheus.

“Really?”

He nodded, frantically, before turning towards the door they’d stopped in front of. “I don’t think I’m like that. I, uh, I don’t know if my roommate is home or not, but if he is, you can have my bed. He might be confused that, uh, that you’re here. I’ll sleep on the floor. Or if he’s gone, too, I guess? I don’t know if it’d be weirder to sleep in mine or a guy you’ve never met. That’s a weird way to phrase it. You’ve just barely met me.”

“I’ll take yours,” she said quickly, if only so the poor boy would take a breath. “Thanks, Orpheus.” It was accompanied by a small smile, which he returned immediately. 

The two fell silent again as Orpheus opened the door, peeking into the room to see if his roommate was there or not. Seeing no one, he pushed the door open fully, revealing a room that was significantly cleaner than she had been expecting, dimly lit by the emergency lights outside. Eurydice let her eyes wander, noticing the various posters and almost immediately spotting the guitar case beside one of the beds.

“Is that one yours?” she asked, glancing back at Orpheus as he nodded. She picked it up carefully, holding it in such a way that you’d think she was holding ancient glass. There was something about the instrument that made her feel as though she were holding something that meant more than she could understand. It mattered to someone. “Can I see it?”

Orpheus had murmured something in agreement, walking up beside her as she placed it on the bed. “I lock it,” he explained, bending down to fiddle with the code and undo the clasps. “Just in case, you know? I don’t want anything to happen to it when I’m not here.”

Eurydice couldn’t do anything but hold her breath as he opened the case. The guitar was a secret, a piece of him that she hadn’t expected to see. It was clear in the way he handled it, in the way he spoke, in the way he’d reached for it when she had picked up the case— This was Orpheus, what he held dearest to him. 

She smiled again.

“You’ll play it for me sometime, won’t you?” she asked, pressing her shoulder against his gently. He seemed to curl towards her as she did so, his hands still running over the strings of the guitar slowly. “Play me that song you’re working on?”

The question seemed to hang between them before she felt Orpheus relax beside her. “Yes,” he said, his voice closer to a whisper than anything else. “I’ll have to finish it first. Let you hear it as it should be heard. As something real.”

_ Real _ . What a fascinating word.

Eurydice turned slowly, tilting her head back so she could look Orpheus in the eye. Some part of her wanted to reach out towards him, to let herself give in to whatever it was that had prompted all her questions. Instead, she stood still for a moment, her gaze wandering over his features. (She wanted to commit him to memory, in case this was the last time they saw each other. Real. So few were.) Orpheus seemed to be barely breathing, allowing the odd admiration Eurydice offered. They stayed like that for what could have been minutes, until, well, she yawned.

After a period of awkward blinking, as Eurydice carefully stepped back from him and Orpheus began to focus on putting his guitar away, reality slowly crept back into place. She listened as he explained where his roommate might be, as he asked if she wanted an extra pillow, and as he asked if she preferred the lights on or off at night. (This was accompanied by an apology for forgetting the power was out and the confession that there was probably a nightlight on his desk, if she wanted him to find it.)

“What time do you wake up?” she asked, the question whispered across the dorm room.

“Eight, usually. Sometimes later, but then I have to run to get ready on time.”

“Okay. Goodnight, Orpheus.”

“Goodnight, Eurydice.”

The girl kept her gaze stuck to the ceiling, waiting for Orpheus’ breathing to steady before she reached for her phone, an unsettling feeling of guilt tapping at her chest. She shouldn’t run, not like this, but it was too much already. It was all too much. It was easy to fall in to someone when it was dark and the rest of the world had gone to sleep, but morning meant realizations and consciousness. Morning meant reality.

Eurydice set her alarm for six.

**Author's Note:**

> this was fun! first time i've ever posted anything i've written anywhere, but i'm gonna write more and keep going with this au because im soft. also tell me why it took me literally 4 days to set up an account on here why is it so complicated


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